One Icon, One Detail: Dean Martin's Shorts

Today is June 21st, the start of summer. And, weather gods be praised, it actually feels like summer, too. But while warmer days are certainly worth celebrating, this also means the window of time you had to prepare for the season has officially closed. So if you haven't picked up your summer shorts just yet, you might want to hightail it to your local haberdashery on the double.

But before you do, we'd advise you to consult this classic shot of old pals Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis goofing around in 1949. It's a great portrait of what made Martin and Lewis so successful, with Martin playing the straight-laced foil to Lewis's off-the-wall antics — but it's also a perfect example of the right inseam length for your shorts.

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While we sincerely hope that you've already discarded all of your dated, baggy shorts in favor of something a little more current, if you aren't up to speed just yet, we'll fill you in: When it comes to shorts, go, well, short. A higher inseam will always look cleaner and more refined than one that hangs down to your knees.

Of course, that's not to say that you should be walking around in a pair of Daisy Dukes — far from it. Instead, search for your happy medium: something that maybe hits just a bit higher than you're used to, but that you still feel comfortable wearing. In this photo, Martin's shorts are certainly shorter than the norm today, but they still look entirely natural and he hardly seems uncomfortable. You should be equally at ease.

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So take it from Dino here: Be daring. Raise up that inseam. It's a quick and painless way to, quite literally, elevate your summer look.

Jake Gallagher is a writer living in Manhattan. He writes the blog Wax Wane.